Two new chairs have joined the conflict for World's Largest Chair supremacy, though in specialty categories -- a rocking chair and a traveling chair.

In Lipan, Texas, the Texas Hill Country Furniture and Merchantile has erected the Star of Texas Rocker, a 26-ft. tall cedar log rocking chair, besting Penrose, CO's and Austintown, OH's claims of "World's Largest Rocking Chair." But the jury is still out on whether it is larger than the giant (30-ft. tall?) rocker reported in Hattiesburg, MS.

At the same time, Basset Furniture has crafted a 20-ft., 3-in. tall mission-style layered ash chair modeled after its best selling Grove Park collection. It's on a tour at Basset stores across the US for a year, misrepresented in promotions as the "World's Largest Chair" (aka "The Big Chair"). Some would argue it is the "World's Largest Chair on Tour." Once it finds a permanent home, possibly in Bassett, VA at Bassett's corporate HQ, it will fade into the fog of middle-sized giant chairs. Bassett is also responsible for a big Duncan Phyfe built in Washington DC in 1958 for Curtis Bros. Furniture, specifically to shame Thomasville, NC's Duncan Phyfe.

Meanwhile, mysterious artist Bim Willow quietly continues to erect his wispy tree branch wicker chairs. A 55-ft. high chair was completed on June 2, 2002 in Amboy, IL. Bim promises a 70-footer in 2003. (Thanks to Texan tipster Wes Treat) [10/13/2002]

February 10, 2012